Relating to CCIE certification, there is not any unmarried method or recipe for luck. Don’t be misled, alternatively. You aren’t by yourself. Incomes an Knowledgeable-level Cisco certification takes so much of labor, however the assets, steering, and fortify you wish to have to stick on the right track are all to be had to you. Actually, chances are you’ll even really feel beaten by means of the collection of choices that declare to be ‘the most productive’ for serving to you get ready on your CCIE certification checks. Finally, making ready for the 8-hour, hands-on sensible lab isn’t for the faint of middle.

The adventure to changing into a CCIE is extremely difficult. Believe me—I do know. And no longer best as a result of I’m CCIE qualified: because the director of Cisco certifications, being a professional on the CCIE lab and what it takes to cross it’s my duty. So, I’m going to proportion some recommendation on find out how to get ready for CCIE certification. On this weblog, you’ll in finding guidelines, steering, and assets that permit you to get ready for the written and sensible checks. I’ll additionally be offering my ideas on what it approach to be a CCIE certification holder. So, with out additional ado, let’s see if in case you have what it takes to transform a CCIE.

Getting ready for CCIE certification is a existence resolution

Sooner than you start your CCIE adventure, it’s vital that you know the level of this enterprise. Changing into a professional and incomes your CCIE certification is greater than a profession transfer. This can be a existence resolution.

Getting ready for CCIE certification takes hours upon hours of analysis that may affect your own time. Being diligent continuously interprets to sacrifices. Sacrificing time with friends and family, napping past due on weekends, lacking out on occasions, and so forth.

I’ve been there. I’ve skilled the lengthy nights of finding out and the nerves that precede a check. However, I’ve additionally skilled the pleasure and pleasure that comes from persevering and passing the checks. I will say with absolute simple task that it used to be all value it. Whilst you transform CCIE qualified, the praise on your dedication is unprecedented.

The place your CCIE adventure starts

As soon as you make a decision to take the soar into making ready on your CCIE certification, it’s time to begin making plans your finding out adventure. And prefer with any adventure, you can not plan forward when you don’t know your place to begin: your present abilities and information. That implies you should know your self. Or, because the Greek thinker Pausanias wrote, “Know thy measure.”

You’ll do that by means of downloading and reviewing the examination subjects for any certification examination at the Cisco Studying Community. Those to be had examination subjects, or blueprints for our written and lab checks, are a very good place to begin. Whilst they gained’t provide you with solutions to the examination questions themselves, they’re going to provide you with an concept of what you’ll be examined on. You should take a good stock of your abilities and information, taking into consideration the issues you understand and what you don’t. 

Attaining the purpose the place you are feeling relaxed taking an Knowledgeable-level Cisco certification examination is an unbelievable success. Alternatively, let’s think that you’re nonetheless some distance from that degree. What’s maximum vital—at the moment— is the means you get there. So, after getting transform acquainted with the examination subjects, it’s time to take the next move.

Into the CCIE finding out matrix

I’m satisfied you selected the crimson tablet. Now, it’s time to peer how deep this rabbit hollow is going with a finding out matrix. Making a finding out matrix is like growing your grasp CCIE finding out plan, or plot, for how you’ll be informed all the CCIE examination subject matter. Don’t concern, you don’t have to begin from scratch: the Cisco Studying Community has a matrix for each and every Knowledgeable-level certification, which you’ll be able to obtain and edit without cost. (I’ve equipped hyperlinks on the backside of this put up).

Lay the basis on your CCIE finding out plan

If you obtain the matrix on your CCIE era area, you’ll see that finding out assets have already been pre-populated by means of examination subject. Believe those a beginning off level that will help you kickstart your finding out. Further assets is also required to advance your strengths and bolster your weaknesses, so I like to recommend the usage of this layout as a template you’ll be able to (and will have to) construct upon.

As you customise and construct your plan, you’ll be able to establish the precise spaces you wish to have to concentrate on main as much as your check date. In the event you haven’t scheduled your examination, your CCIE finding out matrix is a wonderful technique to estimate how a lot time you wish to have to organize in accordance with your wisdom, coaching strategies, and finding out tempo. Take into accout, each finding out adventure is other, so attempt to steer clear of the average pitfall of evaluating your self to different CCIE applicants and certification holders.

Construct a robust community of supporters

As I discussed previous, you aren’t by yourself—some distance from it, in reality. The Cisco finding out and certification neighborhood is huge, a professional, type, and obtainable.

If you are visiting the Cisco Studying Community to obtain your finding out matrix, take a second to browse the neighborhood discussions by means of subject. The Cisco Studying Community neighborhood is constructed from subject material professionals, CCIE applicants, certification holders, and extra who can fortify your CCIE adventure each step of the way in which. As you browse, bookmark the neighborhood discussions that pertain on your CCIE era observe so you’ll be able to check with them later.

You’ll in finding boundless wisdom within the Cisco finding out neighborhood from those that had been there, achieved that. Occasionally one of the simplest ways to achieve your objectives is to invite how others how they did it themselves. It sounds easy, proper? Neatly, that’s as a result of it’s. Don’t underestimate the ability and boundless wisdom contained inside of this neighborhood, alternatively. I can’t overstate the affect a community of likeminded friends will have in your CCIE certification adventure.

Analysis CCIE coaching, gear, and assets

Studying is a adventure; an exploration. Up to now, you’ve got explored the examination subjects on your CCIE certification examination(s), began development your finding out plan, and mirrored in your current strengths and weaknesses. Now it’s time to search out the most productive coaching assets on your finding out taste.

Working out your technique to problem-solving is as essential to luck as discovering dependable finding out fabrics. Deciding on the learning, gear, and assets on your CCIE prep is some distance more uncomplicated while you know which strategies and fabrics paintings perfect for your finding out taste.

Make a choice properly, then customise and mix

At the moment, there is not any scarcity of choices to be had that will help you get exam-ready. Again when I used to be making ready for CCIE certification, the huge catalog of coaching, classes, bootcamps, reference books, movies, and so forth. Cisco has these days didn’t exist but. So, use them on your benefit. They’re designed by means of individuals who have achieved what you’re doing and skilled the exhausting paintings and willpower important to be triumphant. Mix those other assets to suit your finding out taste and particularly goal the spaces you recognized for enlargement.

As you analysis your finding out and coaching assets, achieve this overtly and in truth. Be fair about what you’re excellent at and the place you legitimately wish to enhance. Finally, Knowledgeable-level sensible checks don’t check what you suppose you’re excellent at. They check your exact skills.

Arms-on apply is significant

The CCIE lab is all about hands-on advanced community setup, so be sure you get quite a lot of apply in a lab. Alternatively, a not unusual problem for CCIE applicants is that they don’t have get entry to to the apparatus, pods, and infrastructure they wish to apply within the first position. So, we created CCIE lab leases for sensible examination preparation.

CCIE Observe Labs is a brand new be offering for CCIE applicants making ready for the lab. After you have handed the era core examination, the prerequisite for taking the sensible examination, you’ll be able to hire a CCIE Observe Lab. Labs are to be had in 4-hour blocks of time for US$50. This permits you to get hands-on apply the usage of topologies very similar to what you’ll see in the real lab.

CCIE Observe Labs are to be had for CCIE Safety, CCIE Undertaking Infrastructure, and CCIE Carrier Supplier certifications, with extra at the means.

What the CCIE lab is truly checking out you on

The CCIE lab examination is greater than a check of data. It exams how neatly you’ll be able to merge your conceptual working out with sensible abilities. You could possibly recall rote main points and ideas, however are you able to put them into apply? Along side the deep experience had to cross the lab, you should be capable of translate, synthesize, and remedy issues. When confronted with novel issues in the actual international, are you able to remedy them satisfactorily? Necessarily, your experience will have to be some distance more than the sum of the portions that contain it.

Incomes the CCIE certification approach you’ve got the psychological agility, self assurance, and deep experience to procedure via complexity, suppose seriously, innovate, and ship answers successfully. If all of this sounds frightening, it shouldn’t. But it surely does be offering point of view at the point of luck completed while you transform CCIE qualified.

Do you’ve got what it takes to transform a CCIE?

Now that we’ve established the root for what it takes to transform a CCIE, you’ll have a newfound recognize for individuals who are Cisco Qualified with two (or extra) Knowledgeable-level certifications.

Attending to the purpose the place you’re taking into consideration taking a CCIE examination is an accomplishment. And as you learn this now, you have already got what it takes to get qualified on the Knowledgeable point. I do know this as a result of each CCIE certification holder is made. We don’t seem to be born professionals. We transform CCIE qualified on account of what now we have given to achieving our objectives. You should in finding the trail that empowers you to give what it takes—the time, willpower, patience, and need—for CCIE certification luck. If you’re waiting and keen to commit your self to incomes the CCIE certification, then you’ve got what it takes.

I am hoping you discovered this weblog useful in working out what it takes to transform a CCIE and find out how to construct a robust, structured manner. You’ll in finding helpful hyperlinks under to be informed extra about our Knowledgeable-level certifications, the checking out enjoy, and assets that will help you take your finding out to the following point.

I want you the most productive in your trail and invite your feedback if any of my recommendation resonates with you. Higher but, proportion your ideas in this put up on this dialogue thread. And if you’re already on how to incomes your CCIE certification, we would like to listen to about your enjoy.

A unique word for CCIE applicants attending Cisco Are living 2023 Las Vegas

If you’re becoming a member of us in Las Vegas, June 4–8, 2023, I extremely counsel attending a Cisco Knowledgeable-Degree Certification Techtorial at Cisco Are living, the place you’ve got a novel alternative to take a deep dive into explicit Cisco era tracks. We designed those 4-hour periods for attendees who’ve complicated technical area wisdom. So, if you’re waiting to pursue (or you might be already in flight) a CCIE, CCDE, or DevNet Knowledgeable certification, I strongly advise you to make this a concern.

*If you’re an lively Cisco certification holder, those periods are eligible for Proceeding Schooling (CE) credit you’ll be able to follow against recertification.

Cisco Knowledgeable-level coaching and certification assets 

Obtain your CCIE Studying Matrix

Make a selection your certification observe from the choices under, then navigate to the “Further Sources” tab to search out the hyperlink to obtain your customizable finding out matrix.

Sign up for the Cisco Studying Community these days without cost.

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